by Moira Rouse, Board Member

My son has sung with Worcester Children’s Chorus (WCC) since he was 9 and loves to sing.  He did not want to stop.  Although WCC did not previously have a group dedicated to changed voices, the directors and board members were determined to accommodate this population.  When a boy’s voice changes, his interest in music and singing usually do not!  We were very grateful that WCC provided support for them to continue singing in this new group.

Adolescence is a time full of change and newness, yet some children’s music programs exclude changing and changed voices or fail to address their unique needs.  Without appropriate opportunity and encouragement, young male singers can easily lose interest and motivation.  It has been wonderful that our sons have this new group in WCC to exercise their love of singing.

The group’s Director, Brett Maguire, welcomed the singers to their first rehearsal by saying that singing has been proven to help people during times of transition.   This group provides quality instruction with a kind, supportive environment.  It is dedicated to older boys particular vocal needs and interests.   Brett works extremely well with the singers.  He developed a good rapport with them early on and continues building the group’s cohesiveness.  He took time to understand their individual strengths and needs, then selected performance pieces that interest and feature them beautifully.  I appreciate the vision and effort of WCC to provide this new group.